December 03, 2023; 1st Sunday of Advent (Year B)

Readings: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37

Advent is about Waiting in Hope

1.     Life is full of periods of waiting. Waiting to be born, grow up, start school, graduate, and work. Waiting to get married and begin a family, and of course, waiting for your first child. There are other waiting periods: waiting to see a doctor, catch a flight, get a cab, or get a vaccine. If things do not go well with us, we wait in hope for better days. There are always some anticipations associated with the waiting period. Say you are waiting for the test results ordered by your doctor: you may be anxious about your prognosis. While we wait, we usually occupy our time by reading a book, going through Facebook feeds, playing games on our phones, or doing a puzzle. Advent is a period of waiting in hope for the birth of Christ while anticipating his second coming. So, what do we do while we engage in the waiting game?

2.     This Sunday, we begin the liturgical season of Advent, which means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a four-week period whereby Christians recall the first coming of Christ in his incarnation at Christmas while anticipating his final coming in glory at the end of time. The purple color used during this season, except for the third Sunday, symbolizes hope, a yearning by God’s people and all creation for the transforming light of Christ. The sense of hope generated by this season portrays a time of darkness and gloom, hence the reason to hope for better days. 

3.     In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet recounts the return of the children of Israel from captivity in Babylon and their feelings of sadness, loss, depression, and desperation. He told them they were responsible for their misery, for they had abandoned the way of the Lord. The task of rebuilding their fallen city was so daunting that the prophet cried out and begged for God’s mercy and forgiveness on the people: “You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down…”  

4.     Since we must wait for the coming of Christ what sort of life should we live? According to St. Peter, “Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise, we await new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.” (2Peter 3:11-15). St. Paul prays in the second reading that, “…you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel urged us: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Matthew 25:31-46 tells us to give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the ill, and visit those in prison. We are not asked to do the impossible but to do the simple. We are not demanded to execute extraordinary tasks but to do the ordinary things in life extraordinarily well. In short, we should be doing ‘good’. “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!” (Is.64:4). 

5.     So, dear friends, let us be engaged in sporadic acts of virtues, like honesty and trustworthiness, coming to the aid of unjustly treated people and speaking out for the voiceless. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord during this Advent by praying the rosary with our family and reading one chapter of St. John’s Gospel every day. By the end of Advent, you would have read the whole of St. John’s Gospel, it is only 21 chapters. Share a meal with your family and talk about the things that matter. Your sacramental life should, by no means, be ignored. Attend Mass during the week, go to confession and spend some time with the Lord on Wednesdays during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. These practices will realign your life with Christ and keep us alert and watchful so that the coming of Christ may not take us by surprise. Then, we will be ready to be admitted into the wedding feast of the lamb. May it be so for us now and always! Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 26, 2023; 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

 

Readings: Ez. 34:11-12, 15-17; 1 Cor. 15:20-26, 28; Matthew 25:31-46 

A Kingdom of Truth and Life, of Justice, Love and Peace! 

1.    Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. I want to reflect on the theme ‘A Kingdom of Truth and Life, of Justice, Love and Peace.’ Our universal king came to establish a kingdom that would assure a peaceful coexistence for everyone. Unfortunately, the virtues espoused by Christ in his kingdom are very much lacking in the world of alternate realities we live in today. In this world, people are afraid to stand up for the truth for fear of reprisal. We have become more divisive and divided, so much so that love and peace have become realities too challenging to attend; therefore, we must look elsewhere for truth, life, justice, and peace. These virtues can only be found in Christ, who came to save the last, the least, and the lost. Christ made an option for the poor from his first sermon on the mount to his last one about the end of the world. He stressed that we will be judged on how we treat the poor, the sick, the strangers, the imprisoned, the hungry, the tasty, and the naked. When we help them, we help Christ!

2.    In the first reading, Ezekiel reports that God is displeased with the shepherds who mislead his people. God, therefore, promised to pasture his people himself. The people of God are entrusted to religious and temporal leaders to be ruled after the heart of God in righteousness, truth, justice, love, and peace. Once leaders abdicate their responsibilities and become selfish and egotistical, God is displeased with them and promises, “I will pasture my sheep; I will give them rest. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.” This prophesy is fulfilled in Jesus, whose primary concern was to lead the people aright. The second reading states that Christ will rule until evil is destroyed: “Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father when he has destroyed every sovereignty, authority, and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

3.    Jesus is the judge of the nations in the Gospel. His judgment is based on love and how we treat the less privileged in our midst. It reminds us that we have a choice: to choose heaven or hell. It presents us with two kingdoms: the kingdom of God, where there will be happiness and joy beyond our wildest imagination, and the kingdom of Satan, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Moreover, there will be sadness, regrets, endless remorse, and long-suffering. Our choice will not be based on what we say but how we live. The choice is ours, and we must choose wisely. 

4.    Listen to how St. Martin of Tours chose Christ in the poor. Martin was a Roman soldier and a Christian. One cold winter day, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms as he was entering a city. Martin had no money, but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave him what he had. He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar. That night, he had a dream. In it, he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in their midst, and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.” 

5.    If the many who are poor are not assisted, the few who are wealthy cannot be saved. If the few who are wealthy cannot help the many who are poor, the many who are poor won’t save the few who are rich. “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did to one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Christ is more easily found among the poor than among the rich, who are attached to their wealth and close their hearts to the plight of the poor. So, today’s reading calls on us to open our hearts to the poor Christ who is hungry, to the Christ who is thirsty and homeless, who freezes at street corners while begging for alms. This Christ is not attractive, and neither does he dress elegantly. He, indeed, will not emit the best of scents. But it will be on account of assisting the many shades of Christ that we will be admitted into the kingdom of the Christ who sits on the throne.

6.    Let us take the words of Tobit to heart: “Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Whatever you have left over, give away as alms, and do not begrudge the alms you give.” (Tobit 4:16). Always remember: “Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13). Be good and let goodness be!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 19, 2023; 33rd in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30

Good Stewards, Greater Responsibilities!

1.    Before his ascension, Christ gave us the gift of himself (talent), and He expects us to be accountable to Him on his return. What is this talent? Talent is a natural aptitude or skill that we receive from God. It is also a weight and unit of currency, used mainly by the ancient Romans and Greeks. Hence, talent was the Roman denomination of the highest amount possible. Two drachmas were a day’s wage for a laborer, and a talent was worth 6,000 drachmas, or eight years’ pay for a worker. You can imagine the enormous amount of money given to these men to trade with while waiting for the master’s return.

2.    The master did not just give his servants money; he gave them his property: “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.” The master gave away all his property; he gave them everything. On his return, he had nothing left; therefore, he depended on his servants and what they had done with his property. If the servants were accountable and responsible and invested their money prudently, the master would reap a bountiful harvest on his return.

3.    This parable is about the generosity of God and how extravagant God is with us. God gives us everything freely and generously; he holds nothing back from us but gives each one of us according to our ability. God doesn’t expect us to provide him with what we do not have, but only what we have. God gave us his very self by dying on the cross, and he expects us to reciprocate his love and give ourselves to others. What we have is God’s gift to us, but what we do with it is our gift to God.

4.    Do we continuously invest our gifts, no matter what they may be, for the glory of God? We often behave like the third servant, who buried his master’s money in the ground, refusing to use it to enrich others. St. Paul reminds us, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6-8). In exercising our gifts, we build up the body of Christ, the Church. 

5.    We are invited to participate in ministries in the church. When we sing, we praise God and minister to his people. When we proclaim the Word as lectors or participate in various other ministries, we are accountable to God for his gifts. Suppose we don’t do anything in church. In that case, we are indirectly burying our gifts and refusing to minister to the people of God. The third servant was punished for refusing to try; he did not lose his talent; he did nothing with it. It is wrong to think my talent or gift is so tiny that I can do nothing about it. There is always something I can do with my talent. My talent must benefit me and others equally. 

6.    Finally, we should not be afraid that when we do our work well, we will be rewarded with more work. If we use our talents according to our ability, we will perfect them and gain more experience in using them. If we have proficiency at a game or art, if we have some gift for doing something, the more we exercise that proficiency and that gift, the more complex the work and the bigger the task we will be able to tackle. Whereas if we fail to use it, we lose it. That is true about playing golf, piano, singing, writing, carving, or thinking out ideas; the lesson of life is that the only way to keep a gift is to use it in the service of God and others. 

7.    By using our gifts to build up the kingdom of God, we will hear those beautiful words from the mouth of our master: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. I will give you great responsibilities since you were faithful in small matters. Come, share your master’s joy.” Be blessed! Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 12, 2023; 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thess. 4:13-14; Matthew 25:1-13

You never live well if you are Afraid of Death!

1.    Nineteen hundred years ago, the volcano Mt. Vesuvius erupted in Italy. When the eruption ended, the city of Pompeii lay buried under 18 feet of volcanic ash. The city remained that way until modern times when archaeologists excavated it. What they found amazed everyone. There were carbonized loaves of bread, fruit still retaining its flavor, and olives still swimming in their oil. But there were even more amazing discoveries. The volcanic ash had frozen people in the exact position they had occupied when the disaster struck. The bodies of the people decayed. As they did, they left behind hollow cavities in the hardened ash.

2.    By pouring liquid plaster into these cavities, archaeologists were able to make casts of the victims. Some of the casts evoke an emotional response. For example, one is that of a young mother hugging her child tightly in her arms. Another is that of a Roman sentry still at his post, standing erect, fully armed. He had remained calm and faithful to his duty to the end. A third is that of a man standing upright with a sword in his hand. His foot is resting on a pile of gold and silver. Scattered about him are five bodies, probably would-be looters he had killed. This story demonstrates the points made in today’s readings. We must be prepared, for we do not know when Our Lord’s call will come. The one question to ask is, how prepared are we? My father, who died on August 20, 2023, was always prepared for his death. As a child, he made us say a prayer for a happy death every night before we went to bed. I was always scared of praying for death before going to bed at night. My father made sure that his grave was dug even as he inspected it. He took pains to explain everything to us in detail on what to do after his demise. 

3.    Today’s Gospel reading reminds us that we should always be prepared like the wise virgins who took their lamps and oil in readiness to meet with the bridegroom. My dad had enough oil in his flask in readiness for his master’s return. So, I ask you, do you have enough oil in your flask to keep you waiting through the long night of the delay for your master? Where do you produce your oil? For my father, prayer was the factory where his oil was produced, manufactured, and distributed. This story says it all: “There was an old man who carried a little can of oil everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he put a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. So, he passed through life lubricating all the creaking places, making it easier for those who came after him. People called him eccentric, strange, cranky, odd, and even harsher names. But the old man went steadily on, refilling his can of oil when it became empty and oiling the squeaking places he found. He did not wait until he found a creaky door or a rusty hinge and then went home to get his oil can; he carried it with him at all times. There are many lives that creak and squeak and grate harshly day by day. They need lubricating with the oil of kindness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. That can of oil is one of the predominant characteristics of a Christian life. Such a can of oil we are to carry around with us at all times.” Prayer was the oil of my father’s life. There, a life of integrity was formed, a relationship was initiated, and his mission was given meaning. Through prayer, his inner life of honesty was fashioned. As a Catechist, he knew he could not share his oil, but he could point people to where they could go to get their own and taught them how to buy their oil. 

4.    As we come to the end of the year, the Church turns our attention to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. Are we prepared for the end of our life? Do you know how many stones that are left in your jar? Our span is 70 or 80 for those who are strong. Are you strong enough to add more stones to your jar? “He never lives well who is afraid of dying.” Have you lived well to expect to be happy to be with the Lord? We must wait eagerly for the second coming of Christ so that we do not stagnate and begin to indulge in momentary pleasures. St. Paul reminds us, “You know what hour it is, how it is full-time now for you to wake from sleep. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desire.” (Rom 13:11-14). 

5.    Let us pray that we may keep our flasks of oil full and ready to help those in need, and, as we care for others, as the widow did to Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17:7-16), may our jug of oil never run dry. May we never hear the words: “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you!” 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 05, 2023; 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A)

 

Readings: Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13; Matthew 23:1-12

How Hypocrites are Religious People?

1.    In his book, Sunday Homilies Year A, Mark Link, S.J. writes about the story written by Flannery O’Connor titled “Parker’s back”. I believe this story captures the difficulty of living with self-righteous people. The story takes place in the Deep South, where O.E. Parker and his wife, Sarah Ruth, live in a rundown shack. Sarah Ruth constantly nags her husband about his lack of religion. She also despises the tattoos that decorate his body.

 

2.    One day, in a stumbling effort to improve his relationship with Sarah Ruth, Parker decides to have a large picture of Jesus tattooed on his back. When he returns home and displays his back to Sarah Ruth, she gives no sign of acknowledgment. “Don’t you know who it is?” says Parker. “It’s him! It’s God!” Sarah Ruth snarled belligerently, “God, don’t look like that! He’s a Spirit, and no one’s ever seen his face.” Parker groans, “Aw, it’s just a picture.” “Idolatry!” screams his Sarah Ruth. Then she grabs a blunt instrument and begins beating Parker savagely across the back. Flannery O’Connor concludes her touching story by saying: “Parker sat there and let her beat him until she nearly knocked him senseless and large welts had formed on the face of the tattooed Christ. Then he staggered up and made for the door.” Later, when Sarah Ruth glanced outside, her eyes hardened evermore. There was Parker leaning against a pecan tree, crying like a baby. His tears were not from the savage beating. They were from the fact that Parker now realized there was nothing he could do to please his self-righteous wife.  

 

3.    The story demonstrates the constant confrontation between Jesus and the self-righteous Pharisees. No wonder Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus could see through their pretentious lives and called them out constantly. He contrasts their lives with that of Nathanael when he says, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” (John 1:47). “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37).

 

4.    The Pharisees were organized Jewish leaders devoted to the literal practice of the Jewish law, the ‘Torah.’ They always took the chair of leadership and authority and loved to be addressed as teachers. They portrayed themselves as law-abiding Jews and loved to be seen as holy men. Since they interpreted the law, they felt that it was obvious to others that they were above the law. Those who did not obey the law were considered, obviously, as sinners who should neither be seen nor heard. They took offense at those who associated with sinners. “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (Lk. 7:39). Seeing their hearts and knowing the kind of lives they lived, Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus constantly confronted the Pharisees for their pretentious lives. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to have beliefs or virtues that they don’t actually have. Their actions and moral lives contradict their professed beliefs and teachings.  

 

5.    Jesus warns us against a life of hypocrisy. We must live what we preach and preach what we profess. This refers to parents, teachers, preachers, and secular and religious leaders. Christ recognized the teaching authority of the Pharisees and so asked us to listen to our leaders, spiritual and temporal. If they do not practice what they preach, we are encouraged to take their teaching but abandon their way of life. We must be humble, authentic, honest, and genuine. Many people wear masks that prevent people from knowing who they are. We tell lies to cover up our inadequacies and shortcomings. We pretend to be what we are not. To cap it all, we find fault with others and condemn and judge them for the same weaknesses that we see in ourselves. A little compassion can go a long way to assure others of God’s love for them. If Sarah Ruth had shown compassion, love, mercy, and forgiveness to her husband, Parker, it would have been easy for him to follow Sarah’s God, but she made it impossible for Parker. His little effort to please her was not good enough. Like Christ was never good enough for the Pharisees, Parker was never good enough for his self-righteous wife. 

 

6.    We should be on the watch about the kind of life we live and the kind of example we give others, especially children. Questions: Am I an honest person? Do I practice what I preach? Do I boast and inflate my ego to demonstrate that I am better than who I am? Why am I afraid to tell people who I am? Am I afraid they won’t like me if they know who I am? Let us always remember that God loves us the way we are. If we lie and hide from others, we cannot hide from God. Honesty is still the best policy. Be good, and let goodness be!

Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

October 29, 2023; 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A)

 

Readings: Exodus 22:20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40

In Loving God, we love our brothers and Sisters too.

1.     A man of God sat down to pray; he put all his effort and concentration into his prayers. While praying, a house rat came and started nibbling at his toe. The man of God shoos it away, saying can’t you see that I am praying? I am trying to be at one with God. The house rat asked the man of God, how can you be one with God when you do not want to have a relationship with me? Today’s readings demand that we should love God first and then our neighbors next. In the first letter of St. John 4:20, we are told, “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

2.     In today’s gospel reading, we see the third confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. The first one was the question on taxation as recorded in Matthew’s gospel 22:15-22. The second confrontation was the question about the resurrection. (cf. Matt. 22:23-33). The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection from the dead. To them, Jesus said, “Have you not read what was said to you by God? I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Today, the Pharisees took their turn to confront Jesus on the question of which was the greatest commandment in the law. (cf. Matt. 22:34-40). They thought that they would again discredit Jesus using his own words in condemnation of the Law of Mosses. Why was this question tricky and, at the same time, trying to put Jesus in a bind?

3.     The Pharisees were organized Jewish leaders devoted to the literal practice of the Jewish law, the ‘Torah’ in everyday life. They had cataloged and categorized a list of 613 commandments, from the Ten Commandments popularly known as the law of Mosses. All faithful Jews were bound to observe and keep these laws. The Pharisees had also divided the laws into those that were ‘Weighty’ and those that were ‘light.’ For example, “Thou shalt not commit murder” was one of the ‘big ten,’ written by the hand of God and given to Mosses on Mount Sinai. The Pharisees, therefore, asked Jesus to name which of the commandments was the real weighty one.

4.     The reaction of Jesus was that the law was made for man and not man for the law. (Mark 2:27). Like the law of keeping, the Sabbath day was meant to be a blessing rather than a burden to man. He came to set at liberty those held in captivity (cf. Lk 4:18). And he invites all to “Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matt. 11:28-30). Christ was referring to the children of Israel who were held in captivity by the burden of keeping the law. They were more afraid of breaking the law than offending God.

5.     Jesus’s answer to the Pharisees confounded and convicted them and won his admiration simultaneously. “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37-40). All the Scribe could say was, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One, and there is no other than he.’ And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-34). 

6.     Christ was able to answer in this way because he knew the Scriptures. He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5, the Shema, which was the basic and essential creed of Judaism. Every service began with Shema, and every Jewish child was to memorize it. We must give total love and adoration to God. Our lives, our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions should be subjected to God’s absolute dominance over us. If our love for God does not direct our service, then our service is of no consequence to God. The second commandment that Jesus quoted came from Leviticus 19:18. Our love for God must be seen in our love for our brothers and sisters. We must love God first and others second, in that order. Our love for God can only be meaningful if we can show that love to one another. It is only when we love God first that man is loveable.

7.     The first reading pointed out to the children that they should treat everyone with love and dignity because they were slaves in the land of Egypt. It was through the extraordinary grace and love of God that they were delivered from Egypt. In the same way that God heard their cry when they were in pain, God will listen to the cry of the poor and the powerless and come to their rescue. The more we love God, the better we should treat people around us. We cannot pretend to be in love with God when we cannot stand one another. Do we have the rosary in our hands, praying while we ignore the beggar by the roadside? Do we go to Mass every day and receive Holy Communion while we hate our brothers and sisters? Do we hold God tightly in our hearts and refuse to open our hands to the poor ones around us? Do we find it easy to explain why we should not help someone in need instead of just giving whatever we can to assist those not as blessed as we are? Why do we think we can be at one with God while we find it hard to be at one with those around us? Today’s readings remind us to remember our humble beginnings. The children of Israel were reminded, no less, to think of their humble beginning in Egypt in dealing with others. If we love God the more, we will love others the best. C.S. Lewis reminds us, “When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.” Let us pray that our love for God will be made manifest in our love for others, for in loving God that I cannot see, I will come to love those I see more than I love myself. And in loving God above all else and in loving others more than I love myself, I may find myself in all those I love, and God’s love will be made manifest in my life. Amen.

Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 22, 2023; World Mission/ 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

World Mission Sunday: October 22, 2023

1.     Today is World Mission Sunday. Mission Sunday was instituted by Pope Pius X1 in 1926. The Pope invited the Church to participate in the work of the mission to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. According to Pope Francis, “Celebrating this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in Baptism. Our filial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church.” The theme for this year’s celebration, as set by Pope Francis, is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move,” based on the story of the disciples who encounter Jesus on their way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35). He invites all of us to “set out once more, illumined by our encounter with the risen Lord and prompted by his Spirit. Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion. Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity.” In a world where so much divides us, World Mission Sunday rejoices in our unity as missionaries through our Baptism, as it offers each one of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,111 mission dioceses.

2.     The first worldwide Mission Sunday collection was taken in October 1927. Since then, the Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to the last Sunday in October. That day is celebrated in all the local Churches as the feast of Catholicity and universal Solidarity, so Christians the world over will recognize their common responsibility concerning the evangelization of the world.

3.     I am a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria. My Society was founded by the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem in consultation with the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria in 1977 for missions (46 years ago). This was in answer to the call of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul V1 in Uganda in 1969 to Africans to participate in the mission mandate of the Universal Church. Jesus Christ calls on us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creatures.” (Mk. 16:15). Since the Nigerian Church was a beneficiary of the faith brought by European missionaries, it is only fitting that we, too, should share in this mandate, to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Americas, Europe and indeed to the ends of the world. Today, Missionaries of St. Paul have answered the call to bring the Gospel of Christ to God’s people in America, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Germany, England, Grenada, Bahamas, South Africa, South Sudan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Cameroon, the Gambia, Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria.

4.     On November 30, 1919, Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, stressed the need for all Catholics to be interested in missionary work. Pope Francis said this of the Apostolic letter of his predecessor 104 years ago, “Its farsighted and prophetic vision of the apostolate has made me realize once again the importance of renewing the Church’s missionary commitment and giving fresh evangelical impulse to her work of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again.”

5.     We must all see ourselves as missionaries. We only exist as a Church because we are a missionary Church, sent on a mission by God in Jesus, who commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19-20). Some of us must necessarily go on mission as missionaries, but others must also go on mission by giving to support the mission. In his apostolic letter, Maximum Illud, Pope Benedict XV said, “There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves constantly remind us of them. This is within everyone’s capacity.”

·        Pray that God may grant the missions His merciful aid. “This kind of prayer cannot fail, especially in this cause, for no cause is dearer or more pleasing to God than this one. While the Israelites fought their battle with Amalek, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting his hands, implored God’s aid for his people. The teachers of the Gospel are manfully at work in the Lord’s vineyard, and it is the duty of all the faithful to follow the example of Moses and grant them the support of their prayers.”

·        Fostering vocations. Everyone must pray for an increase of vocation in the Church. Jesus reminds us: “The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).

·        Economic Help. Every Catholic must give to support the mission.

I want to express my gratitude to all who have supported the work of the mission. May God bless and reward you abundantly.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A) October 22, 2023

Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21 

Everything belongs to God.

1.     Today is World Mission Sunday. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, calls on us all to participate in the Church’s mission. Please read my reflection on the mission in the bulletin under ‘From the Pastor’s desk.’ In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees to give to God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Christ was reacting to the trap set for him concerning the payment of taxes. Jesus had been confronting the religious leaders of his day, indicting them with his parables. In the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32), he portrayed the Jewish leaders as unsatisfactory sons who did not do his father’s will. In the parable of the wicked servants (Matthew 21:33-46), Jesus demonstrated that they were the corrupt servants who ill-treated those sent to receive the produce of the vineyard and even killed the son of the vineyard owner, intending to take over the vineyard for themselves. In the parable of the wedding feast of the king’s son (Matthew 22:1-14), Christ showed them as the condemned guests, one of whom did not even wear a wedding garment. In today’s gospel, the Jewish leaders are on the offensive with their counterattack on Jesus. They are going for a kill, aiming at Jesus’ jocular. They confronted Jesus publicly with a question regarding the payment of taxes. Their aim was to discredit Jesus with his own words. Palestine was an occupied country, and the Jews were subject to the Roman Empire; the question was: “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Rome or not.” There were three regular taxes the Roman government exacted on the Jews. The ground tax – a tenth of the grain and one-fifth of the oil and wine; income tax – one percent of a man’s income; then a poll tax – paid by every male from the age of 14-65, and female from the age of 12-65. It was equivalent to one denarius. It was the poll tax that prompted the confrontation.

2.     If Christ had answered that it was unlawful to pay tax, they would have reported him to the Roman authority for sedition, and Christ would have been arrested immediately. If his answer, on the other hand, was that it was lawful to pay tax, he would have been discredited in the eyes of the people. The Jews resented paying taxes for religious reasons. To them, God was the only king; therefore, to pay tax to an earthly king was to admit the validity of his kingship and thereby insult God as their ultimate king. Therefore, any tax paid to a foreign king was necessarily wrong. Whichever way Christ would have answered the question would put him in the wrong. Christ outsmarts them by asking for the coin used to pay tax. And then told them to give the coin to the owner – Caesar, since his head was on it.

3.     Jesus lays down an important principle for every Christian with this simple but intelligent answer. We belong both to the country in which we live and to God. We are citizens of the world and citizens of heaven; we owe our allegiance to both. Our government must protect and provide us with social amenities like good roads, a healthcare system, social infrastructures, sewage, and water systems, means of public transportation, public schools, and all other services. Hence, we have an obligation to our governments. St. Peter tells us, “Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:17), and Paul tells Christians, “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except God, and those that exist have been established by God. Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” (Rom. 13:1, 7). By paying taxes and being law-abiding, we assist the government in caring for our needs. William Barclay reflects, “Because the Christian is a man of honor, he must be a responsible citizen; failure in good citizenship is also a failure in Christian duty. Untold trouble can descend upon a country or an industry when Christians refuse to take their part in the administration and leave it to selfish, self-seeking, partisan, and unchristian men. The Christian has a duty to Caesar in return for the privileges which the rule of Caesar brings to him.” 

4.     We also belong to God, not just us but all creation. “The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world and those who live there.” (Ps. 24:1). Even Caesar belongs to God. In the first reading, God directed a pagan king to be an instrument of deliverance to his chosen people. He called Cyrus ‘his anointed’, a title given only to someone in Israel. God was the one who directed the operations of Cyrus. He arms him, “though you know me not.” Because “I am the Lord, and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” Whatever happens, at any time, at any place, happens under God’s control. The answer that Christ gave reaffirmed the supremacy of God over humanity. We must give God our loyalty, adoration, obedience, and all. When we are convinced that it is God’s will that something should be done, we must do it, or if we are convinced that something is against the will of God, we must resist it and take no part in it. Where the boundaries between the two duties lie, Jesus does not say. That is for our own conscience to test. But a real Christian – and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down – is at one and the same time a good citizen of his country and a good citizen of the kingdom of heaven. He will fail in his duty neither to God nor to man. May God help us to be true to our dual citizenship. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

 

 

 

 

October 15, 2023; 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A)

 

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 

We all Must Partake in the Lord’s Banquet

1.    The Eucharist is the greatest thanksgiving we can ever render to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos.1359 and 1360, reminds us that: “The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through Christ’s death and Resurrection. Through Christ, the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God had made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.” It explains further, “The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” At Mass, we gather around the Eucharistic table as a family to thank God for the gift of life, for good health, our families, our friends, our nation, and everything God has done for us. This is the banquet Isaiah invites us to partake in today’s first reading. “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.”  Christ commands, “Do this in memory of me.”  Ours is a celebration of joy and happiness; it is thanksgiving in praise of God for answered prayers, healing, strength, blessings, and life.

2.    The gospel recounts the parable of the wedding banquet of the king’s son. A wedding is a time of joy and celebration in anticipation of a new family. In ancient times, kings announced the approximate time for a wedding banquet, weeks in advance. The exact day of the feast was given later. To say ‘yes’ to the advance invitation and ‘no’ at a later date was an insult to the king. 

3.    Jesus directed the parable to the Jews of his time. Ages before, they had accepted God’s invitation to be his chosen people, his special guests at the banquet of the kingdom of God. But when Jesus came to announce the banquet – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17) – they rejected his invitation and put Christ to death. But this attitude did not stop the joy of the celebration. John tells us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God.” (Jn. 1:5,11-12).

4.    Like those who did not accept the invitation to the wedding feast, we have often responded in like manner to God’s invitation. Those invited had better things to do than attend the wedding feast; we often have good reasons, too. Remember, those who did not participate in the feast did not go out to drink. No, some went to the farm, and others had other businesses to attend to. Many times, we, too, have other things to do. We sometimes go to football games rather than attend Mass. We may be too tired to respond to church activities. We don’t always take the practice of our faith seriously. We do not always pray with our families. Do we pray the rosary as a family? When did we go to confession last? Do we read the bible, or do we even own one? Would we say that our spiritual life is better today than last year? Do we prepare for Mass as we should, going through the readings beforehand and being ready to receive the Eucharist joyfully? Do we always speak the truth? Do we take part in gossiping about our neighbors and everything going on around us? 

5.    Dear friends, saying ‘Yes’ to God’s invitation is not a one-time commitment. It is an ongoing process. It requires constant recommitment and updating. It is easy to get distracted by daily life and to forget about eternal life. It is easy to fill ourselves with the junk food of this life and forget the banquet of eternal life. When we say ‘yes’ to God, like commitment in marriage, we find joy, happiness, and peace. It is like having a family get-together where a lot of food, beer, and wine are served. God himself prepares this meal for us every day but many of us choose to be on a diet. Today’s readings attest that a meal expresses many human attitudes and emotions. It can be a powerful testimonial to a friendship that many would doubt does not exist, as when Jesus accepted the invitation to dine with a despised tax collector. (MK. 2:13-17). When the Father forgave his son in Lk 15:11-32, he gave a banquet and killed a fatted calf for the celebration. Abraham prepared a meal for the strangers who stopped by his house on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 18:1-8). We travel miles and miles to join our families for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. At these meals, there is always a lot to eat and drink. These gatherings speak the mind of God for his children. He wants his children to be happy and be glad. The meals talk to us about the banquet we will share eternally with God in heaven with his son, angels, and saints. But there is a caveat to the joyful participation in this banquet.

6.    Those invited must wear their garment; it doesn’t matter when the invitation comes to you. By coming to the wedding feast without a wedding garment, one refuses to prepare and openly insults the host. The kingdom of God is a gift to which the Spirit awakens us. It grows within our hearts as we live by gospel values. The wedding garment is woven with strands of humility, gratitude, willingness to change, readiness to forgive and be forgiven, to love and be loved. Openness to the generosity of God is the ticket to entering the kingdom. 

7.    According to William Barclay, this parable has nothing to do with the clothes we wear to Church; it has everything to do with the Spirit in which we go to God’s house. It is profoundly true that churchgoing must never be a fashion parade. But there are garments of the mind, heart, and soul – the garment of expectation, the garment of humble repentance, the garment of faith, the garment of reverence - and these are the garments without which we ought not approach God. Too often, we go to God’s house with no preparation at all; if every man and woman in our congregations came to Church prepared to worship, after a bit of prayer, a little thought, and a little self-examination, talking less to others in the Church and talking more to God, then worship would be worship indeed – the worship in which and through which things happen in men’s souls and the life of the Church and the affairs of the world. Is there anything in our lives that distracts us from fully accepting the Lord’s awesome invitation to share in the life of our generous God? Let us celebrate our faith, the Eucharist, and life in this community. May we always approach our Lord in the Eucharist with joy and thanksgiving in our hearts! Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 08, 2023; 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43

“What More Was There to Do for My Vineyard?”

1.    In today’s first reading, we read, “My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stone, and planted the choicest vines; he built a watchtower within it. And hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes.” Isaiah’s question is the same one some parents have asked often. They have spent so much money on their children’s education with the expectation that they will do well in school and become successful, but they turned out to be the opposite. What more was there to do for those children? We have often invested in businesses expecting a better outcome, only to be disappointed with the result. And so we ask, what else was there to do that we did not do? Two Friends embarked on a project that they hoped would benefit them in the future, only to be outwitted and cheated out of it by one of them. The other partner is left with the question: What more was there to do that I did not do? A young woman started dating a young man; they had been together for months. They are now planning for their wedding. The young woman has invested so much in the relationship; she is now ready to settle down to begin a family and to live forever after with the love of her life. One day, she returned from work to see a note from her finance informing her that he was in love with someone else. In her anguish, she cried out, what more was there to do that I did not do? Many times, we have felt this way with members of our families. To some of them, we have given everything, short of our blood, but they go a different way when we expect them to turn one way. We cried out with Isaiah; what more was there to do that we did not do?

2.    Today’s Gospel asks the same question as Isaiah. The parable is about the landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then, he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. He expected a bountiful harvest on his return. But those he sent to receive the produce when the vintage time drew near were ill-treated. Some were beaten, others killed. Even his son was thrown out of the vineyard and killed. Who were these heartless, ruthless, and corrupt tenants? Today’s Psalm tells us: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.” 

3.    The parable of Jesus is described as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” His stories or parables are always directed to people of his time to point the light on the need to change their ways and give their lives to God. There are two types of parables: window parables and mirror parables. Mark Link, SJ describes a window parable as a simple story that teaches about God or His kingdom. It is a ‘verbal window’ to get insight into God or His kingdom. It often begins with “The kingdom of God is like.” Mirror parables are stories that act as “verbal mirrors.” They give us an insight into ourselves. In telling the mirror parables, Jesus made it easy for his listeners to see themselves in one of the characters in the parable. The parable in today’s Gospel is a typical mirror parable in that Jesus directed it primarily to the chief priests and the Pharisees, that is, the religious leaders of Israel.

4.    The vineyard owner, in the parable, is God. According to the first reading and the Psalm, “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel, and the tenants are the leaders of Israel. The first group of slaves are the early prophets; the second group are the later prophets; the owner’s son, who was killed, is Jesus. The new tenant, to whom the owner leases the vineyard, are the apostles of Jesus. They are the new leaders of God’s people. Those who listened to Jesus knew that he was talking about them. They saw themselves in the parable and did not like it, but did they change their ways? No, they did not. This parable was not only directed to the scribes and the Pharisees, but to us as well. God has given us everything to change and be converted, but we are stuck in our ways. At Baptism, we promised to follow God’s ways, but no sooner than we made the promises, we forgot about them and continued in our ways. 

5.    According to Mark Link, this parable summarizes the complete biblical story of salvation, even to the point of making clear-cut references to the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The first leasing of the vineyard refers to the Old Covenant. The second leasing of the vineyard refers to the New Covenant. This parable affirms that Jesus is the Son of God. The last person sent to the tenants is not another slave. He is the vineyard owner’s son. Third, the parable affirms that Jesus’ apostles are the new leaders of God’s people. And finally, the parable teaches us about God’s patience with us and our accountability to God. It teaches us about trust and free will. God does not look over our shoulders. He allows us to be free to respond to his love. God seems to believe we will always do what is right and just. He gives us a long rope of repentance to change our minds. The vineyard owner made three efforts to get the tenant farmers to change their ways. When he saw more patience was futile, he passed judgment on the tenants. He held them accountable for their actions. It is the same way with God and us. God is infinitely patient. But the time will come when God’s patience runs out. He will pass judgment on to us and our ways. We will be held accountable for our actions.

6.    So, dear friends, let us not take God’s patience for granted. The day will come for us to give an account of our lives and God’s gift to us. They say there are six days for the thief and only one for the house owner. Whatever we do, be it in government, office, church, or home with our children, may we take no one for granted. Like the vineyard was well equipped, what we receive from God is a privilege, not a right. God does not only give us a task to do; he also gives us the means to do it. We are custodians of God’s gift. We must be responsible for God’s many blessings. If our children refuse to grow up, we must show them tough love and teach them responsibility lessons. 

7.    Let us pray that we may shun sin in all its ramifications since sin is a rebellion against God. May we not be engaged in a deliberate policy of rebellion and disobedience towards God. May we treat everyone with love and respect so that God may not ask: What else could I have done for them that I did not do?

Rev. Augustine Inwang, MSP